Welcome!

You've just touched down on Pathfinder Writing and Careers' blog, which is a smart guide to help you step forward with confidence in your career!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Looking for Work? Don’t Write Off Temporary or Contract Positions!

With the economy as nervous as it is, employers are equally on edge. Many are unwilling to take on the liability and risk associated with another full-time employee’s salary, healthcare and benefits. As a result, some companies have resorted to hiring people on a temporary or contract basis, simply because projects still need to be completed and there aren’t enough existing staff members to get it done.

I’ve talked to several clients who were rather disdainful of taking on a temporary or contract position, citing that this could be a barrier to them finding a better-paying full-time position with full benefits. Or, they just felt as though it was below them. “I don’t ‘do’ temporary work,” one client said. “It’s a dead-end.”

But it isn’t a dead-end. It can actually be a new connector to a future full-time job. The way that things are these days economically, having flexibility in your employment approach can have a big payoff later on. Think of it is this way: Some employment is better than no employment. And when the economy does start to recover, who do you think that the employer would be more likely to hire when they have that opportunity? An unknown quantity, or someone who has been already working with the company in a contract or temporary capacity?

The answer seems pretty clear, doesn’t it? You never know where opportunity might pop up, and right now, it is all about creating as many openings as possible. If you create the opportunity for possibility, instead of shutting yourself off from it, there is a higher likelihood that something will come along that you couldn’t have anticipated! So don’t write off something just because of some preconceptions… you need to be as flexible and receptive to opportunity as possible. You never know where it might take you!

No comments:

Dawn Rasmussen

As the Chief Résumé Designer and President of Pathfinder Writing and Career Services, every day I count myself fortunate to be working with so many interesting clients from around the U.S. and Canada. The best reward: empowering people to manage their careers proactively, consciously, and positively. As a frequent professional convention speaker on career management topics, I love energizing attendees with presentations all aspects of career development.

Blog Archive

All content posted on this blog, unless otherwise noted, is copyrighted (c) as intellectual property of Pathfinder Writing and Career Services LLC. To reprint any portion of a post in this blog, please provide either a link to the original post or attribute the original article to Dawn Rasmussen, Pathfinder Writing and Career Services LLC with a link to this blog.